(Strip Number 4147, Original Publication Date, 13 March 1982)
Panel 1: As our story continues, we find ourselves in the front hallway. Mike, who's just come home from school, is wiping his nose on the back of his hand because he's cried so much, he's got a runny nose. Elly, having noticed this, asks him what's the matter.
Panel 2: It seems that some of the kids at school (one kid named Luggsworth in particular, no doubt) were saying mean things about him.
Panel 3: Tentacle-fingered Elly tells him to tell them 'Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.'
Panel 4: Mike replies by telling her "But, Mom.....the names do hurt."; Elly, having started to walk away because she thought spouting a platitude was parenting, seems to have suffered input failure because her cliche hasn't given her son solace.
Summary: As I usually say when this sort of thing happens, Elly has good intentions but tends to fail owing to an inability to see what the other person is going through. Her baffling refusal to admit that what happens in childhood matters (shades of Rosemond) coupled with her own blank-witted stupidity guarantee that when Mike, Liz or April are in need, they get a response of "Message received but not understood."